Family trust elections and interposed entity elections
Understanding Family Trust Distribution Tax Key Considerations for Trustees and Entities to Avoid 47% FTDT on Distributions Outside the Family Group. Family trust distribution tax (‘FTDT’) is a special, 47%, tax sometimes payable by a trustee, director or partner. It applies when a trust has made a family trust election (‘FTE’), or an entity has […]
Illegal early access to super
Beware of Illegal Early Super Access Schemes ATO Warns Against Promoters Exploiting Super Funds for Non-Retirement Purposes Faced with tough times, some people may be thinking about accessing their super early. Taxpayers may have been approached by someone (a ‘promoter’) claiming that members of super funds can withdraw their super or use an SMSF to […]
Asset valuation guidelines for SMSFs
Mastering SMSF Asset Valuation Understanding the Importance, Principles and Processes of Valuing Self-Managed Super Fund Assets If you have a self-managed super fund (SMSF), you need to have your fund’s assets valued regularly to remain compliant with Australia’s superannuation legislation. While the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) generally accepts SMSF asset valuations that follow the guidelines, it […]
Super contribution caps to rise
Prepare for Changes as Concessional and Non-Concessional Caps Rise What You Need to Know for 2025 The big news story for those contributing to super is that the contribution caps are set to increase from the 2025 income year. The concessional contribution cap will increase from $27,500 to $30,000. This ‘CC’ cap is broadly applicable […]
Contributions caps increase July 1
Contribution caps to increase from 1 July 2024 Following the release of the latest Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE) index, the expected increase to the contribution caps from 1 July 2024 has been confirmed. As a result, from 1 July 2024: The standard Concessional contribution cap will increase from $27,500 to $30,0001. The Non-concessional […]
ATO warning regarding prohibited SMSF loans
Navigating Superannuation Compliance ATO’s Focus on Loans to SMSF Members Loans to members continue to be the highest reported contravention of the superannuation laws that the ATO sees in auditor contravention reports. SMSF trustees should remember that they cannot loan money or provide other forms of financial assistance to a member or relative, and if […]
Losses in crypto investments for SMSFs
Navigating Cryptocurrency Investments in SMSFs Understanding Risks and Safeguards Over the last few income years, the ATO has seen some instances of SMSF trustees losing their crypto asset investments. These losses have been caused by: crypto scams, where trustees were conned into investing their superannuation benefits in a fake crypto exchange; theft, where fraudsters would […]
Care required in paying super benefits
Navigating SMSF Benefit Payments: Rules and Risks for Trustees Ensuring Compliance and Minimizing Penalties in Superannuation Benefit Distributions Generally, before SMSF trustees pay a member’s super benefits, they need to ensure that: the member has reached their preservation age; the member has met one of the conditions of release; and the governing rules of the […]
Deduction for contributions denied due to notice requirement problems
AAT Ruling on Personal Super Contribution Deduction Claim Key Notice Requirements and the Impact on Deductions The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (‘AAT’) recently held that a claim for a deduction for personal super contributions should not be allowed, as the relevant ‘notice requirements’ were not satisfied. In order to claim a deduction for personal super contributions, […]
Research shows Gen Zs are financially stressed with high debt
Gen Z more concerned about finances than any generation in Australia New research shows Gen Zs are feeling financially stressed with high levels of debt including Buy Now Pay Later use. New nationwide research released by ASIC’s Moneysmart program shows for seven in ten (68%) Gen Zs, finances are a major cause of concern, more than any […]